Program for State Dinner Honoring Emperor Haile Selassie I
This is the third page of an event program for the entertainment following a State Dinner hosted by President Richard M. Nixon in honor of Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia on July 8, 1969. Concert pianist Eugene List provided musical entertainment. It was not the first time List entertained world leaders. In 1945, List, then in the Army, was summoned to play piano for President Harry S. Truman, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin during the Potsdam Conference.
This program is part of a personal collection belonging to former White House Executive Chef Henry Haller. As executive chef from 1966-1987, Haller oversaw the menus for over 250 State Dinners at the White House. To view the complete program, see 1126997.pdf.
Families taking up residence at the White House since the Theodore Roosevelt administration have encountered the public's insatiable appetite for stories of everyday life in the Executive Mansion. With the common reproduction of photographs in newspapers and magazines by the early 20th century, presidential pets had to accept the same scrutiny as their distinguished masters. Whether providing companionship or humanizing
Since the beginning of the American presidency, dogs have often shared a presence in both the first family and the White House. In fact, 30 out of the 44 presidents have had a dog at some point during their respective presidencies. These dogs were not only important in the lives of the presidents and their families, but also to the American public.